Two characters, which no one dared to speak aloud, were silently acknowledged: “Ruo Wen.”
What is the essence of a bandit? One who views moral culture as dung, gambles with life, all to satisfy personal desires. In this sense, if women are part of desire, then there’s no need for so-called love—just take them, like wine or jewels. Between the legs, it’s merely a moment of pleasure. Thus, bandits don’t speak of love…
Ruo Wen, though a mere bandit, was sufficiently vicious, cruel, and extreme! Therefore, he was beyond anyone’s control—not Ge Xinwei who slept with him, nor Huang Beishuang whom he pursued; not King Beijing who shamed him, and certainly not King Zhan who had nothing to do with him!
Blindfolding Ge Xinwei, Ruo Wen could ravage her to death, for she resembled her so closely, almost indistinguishably. Yet why wasn’t he satisfied? His heart didn’t race again; it seemed encased in ice-cold, unmoved, empty.
Lying in bed for who knows how many days, the room reeked of the aftermath of passion. On the floor, Ruo Wen had been unconscious for an unknown time. Looking at the chaos before him, he grew increasingly angry. He abruptly put on his pants and, bare-chested, pushed open the door without closing it, leaving the woman inside exposed.
The sunlight was harsh, the air cold. Ruo Wen stood in the courtyard, staring at the sky for a long time…
“Your Majesty!” Ge Xinwei, awakened by the sudden light, dressed and came out to stand beside him, also looking up at the sky. “Your Majesty, are you feeling better?”
Ruo Wen sneered, “With a princess serving so diligently, how could I not feel good?”
Ge Xinwei lowered her head, her exposed skin showing bruises everywhere. “Who in this world doesn’t live striving? Who are we trying so hard to please? I wanted to please Your Majesty. Did I succeed?” She could only laugh bitterly, “Of course I did. It’s simple, just by covering my eyes.”
That day, her words fell on deaf ears. Wasn’t she just someone’s substitute? It was merely a struggle of self-deception. As long as Ruo Wen thought so, that’s what she was.
“Ge Xinwei, do you know? I don’t need to become any king!” Ruo Wen turned his head, speaking nonchalantly. He strode to the well, scooped up a bucket of water, and poured it over himself. The water, carrying fine yellowish sand, flowed down his muscular body in muddy rivulets. In the cold winter, he stood there like a ghostly fire.
Ge Xinwei stared at him, mesmerized. What she loved was this incomparable self-will, something no one else could achieve. Because people shouldn’t be too self-indulgent—that leads to losing oneself. Yet a person who can’t follow their heart is pitiful. It’s a difficult balance that no one can achieve, except Ruo Wen.
At this moment, his bronze skin emitted an almost visible glow, his tall, straight figure completely occupying her vision. But he just stood by the well, looking at her as if she were an object. “I don’t need subjects, nor a royal seal. I don’t need to govern, and I certainly don’t need you!” He spoke coldly, without attachment. “So, I’m leaving you in Fengtian!”
Ge Xinwei’s heart jumped at these words. “Your Majesty?”
Ruo Wen shook the water from his head, looking at the panicked Ge Xinwei with a cold smile. “You hoped I’d attack Yunpei, right? Hmph! As you wish. Tomorrow I’ll leave Fengtian. The Zhenguo Army, the Southern Expedition Army—they’re all yours! All useless! I don’t want them! Remember this: I’m attacking Yunpei not because of that woman, but because I’m a bandit. The best things in this world are in Yunpei, so I want to make them mine! It’s that simple!”
Ge Xinwei listened, her face turning pale. She neither understood his plans nor how he weighed things in his heart. Not wanting the country? Not wanting hegemony? Then what did he want?
Ruo Wen roughly ran his hand through his hair, the wet black strands standing up like a hedgehog. His purple pupils reflected all evil. He walked to Ge Xinwei, roughly lifting her chin, and smiled, “If you dare cause any trouble in Fengtian… I’ll come back. Come back to finish you! Remember that!” With that, he turned and walked out of the cold, dry courtyard, as if this place had never been somewhere he belonged…
Fengtian and Yangong, at the Grand Drill Ground.
The Huangtian Wild Army quickly assembled. Under the scorching sun and cold wind, they stood on the training ground, each with an imposing presence, their eyes blazing as they looked at their leader on the platform.
Ruo Wen was fully dressed, the same as before—a sand-yellow cloak, earth-gray tight-fitting clothes, with a sword and spear at his waist. He stood there for a full hour, neither speaking nor moving. After coldly surveying them, he finally shouted fiercely, “Do you like this place, Fengtian?” The officers responded without hesitation, shouting in unison, “We do!”
Ruo Wen snorted, “Are you satisfied? Do you want to continue?”
At these words, silence fell over those below the platform. No one answered, perhaps not wanting to, or not knowing how. Though they were silent, not a single person looked around nervously. They just looked at Ruo Wen uniformly, their eyes showing no doubt.
Ruo Wen looked at them, raising his horsewhip to point at the southern sky, shouting, “I’m not satisfied, so I will continue!” His voice was high and carried an incomparable magic, shaking everyone’s heart. After a short pause, he suddenly roared like thunder, “Will you still follow me?”
The drill ground was so quiet that only this question echoed repeatedly. They looked up at the indescribable madman on the platform, who viewed all the world’s rules as dung, seeming as if he would one day destroy heaven and earth.
Soon, a thunderous response erupted from below, a jumble of replies coming in waves.
“Chief! We’re not curious about anything else in this life, except one thing—we want to know how far we can go following you! And this curiosity won’t change until we lose our lives!”
“That’s right! I’ve done so many things in my life I can’t even remember them all, but if I’m going to be struck by lightning, it better be by your side, Chief!”
“Chief! Why ask? We’ll only feel it’s enough when you’re satisfied! Wherever you go, we’ll follow! Even watching you with women is exciting!”
“Bah! Chief! Just give the order!”
These crude, ruffian-like words were music to Ruo Wen’s ears, a welcome change from Ge Xinwei’s affected speech. Looking at these brothers who had been through life and death with him, suddenly, that surging passion awakened.
Taking a step forward, his sharp gaze swept over the 4,000 men below. He shouted, “Listen up! Tomorrow morning, the Huangtian Wild Army breaks camp and leaves! If you don’t want to go, you’d better start thinking about how to save your life now!”
As his words faded, a deafening roar erupted from below.
In the spring of 332 CE, the Huangtian Wild Army left Fengtian, leaving behind only one woman to maintain order—Princess Ge Xinwei of the Yu Clan. Thereafter, Fengtian transformed, establishing a law-based state and setting up an academy. Ge Xinwei divided the land and enfeoffed it, absorbing the surrendered generals of the original Ma Sui back under the Yu Clan’s banner, instantly revitalizing it! Meanwhile, the Wild Army was unleashed. Four thousand men marched south, plundering three oases, killing indiscriminately, without restraint or conscience. Wandering refugees twice united to resist them but were utterly defeated, with nearly 6,000 people left dead. Those who reveled atop the pile of corpses were a group of maniacs who held nothing sacred.
Within seven days, fallen poets were already singing ballads of wild blood in the great desert. One song, in particular, was heart-wrenching:
Ruo Wen’s curved blade strikes, patricide blood congeals in the dust;
Ruo Wen’s sharp sword emerges, matricide without remorse;
Ruo Wen’s long spear rings, stealing wives and mocking foolish hearts!
Heaven and earth are inherently merciless, the mortal realm holds no beauty,
Who dares to face Ruo Wen? Questioned throughout, neither gods nor ghosts pursue,
Shattering thrones, discarding white bones, none can stand against him!
…